Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Mind Map - Deductive Reasoning

CH 13- Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning is the process of starting with one or more statements called premises. Deduction is the study of formal logic, or the science of good reasoning. It is called formal because its main concern is with creating forms that serve as models to demonstrate both correct and incorrect reasoning. Reasoning draws conclusions, judgements, or inferences from facts or premises. Logic arranges deductive arguments in standardized forms called syllogisms, that make the structure of the argument clearly visible for study and review.

Mind Map - Arguments

Mind Map - Inductive Fallacies

Mind Map - Advanced Strategies

Mind Map - Inductive Reasoning

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

CH 12- Arguments

Arguments can be logical structures that people use when they write and speak to present ideas and to persuade others to support those ideas. It consists of two or more statements that include one conclusion and at least one reason that supports it. Arguments can be evaluated using specific criteria including determining dependability, distingushing fact from opinion, and detecting fallacies. The two primary types of arguments are deductive and inductive. Deductive arguments have at least one premise that logically leads to a conclusion. Inductive arguments begin with a series of specific observations and conclude with a generalization that logically flow from them.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

CH 12 - Inductive Fallacies

The fallacy that occurs most often in inductive reasoning is the hasty generalization. A hasty generalization is a conclusion based on insufficient evidence. Often it expresses stereotypes. Other inductive fallacies include; either - or fallacy, questionable statisitic, inconsistencies and contradictions, loaded question, false analogy, false cause, slippery slope.

CH 11 - Advanced Strategies

Visual aids are often used by textbook authors to help readers have a clear understanding of the information they are presenting. Types of visual aids include mind maps, outlines, charts, diagrams, graphs, illustrations, photographs, and timelines. Learning how to read visuals will help you understand and remember the textual information they illustrate. You must be able to recognize the important elements in what you are reading and be able to organize them in a logical and useful format.

CH 11- Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is a method used to discover new information or to supply missing information. When using inductive reasoning we observe, test, and check things out in a systematic way. Induction reasons from evidence about some members of a class in order to form a conclusion about all members of that class. Induction can be done through senory observation, enumeration, analogous reasoning, casual reasoning, and pattern recognition. An inductive study is a generalization that is probable but not certain.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mind Map - Texbook Marking

CH 10 - Textbook Marking

Textbook marking is a systematic way of marking, highlighting, and labeling ideas to show which are most important. You should look for and mark these items, main ideas, major ideas, major supporting details, and new vocabulary. Always make sure to mark information that is unclear to you and find out what it means. A personalized system will work well as long as it makes to you and is consistent.

Mind Map - Fallacies

CH.10 - Fallacies

A fallacy is a statement or agument that presents itself as reasoned when it is not. Fallacies can be manipulated through language, emotions, and distraction. The fallacy of word ambiguity happens when an argument includes a key word when several meanings are left undefined. Therefore, the reader must assume what meaning was intended. We must not let any argument or statement influence in manipulating our opinion without carefully studying both sides of the situation.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Mind Map - PSR Strategies

CH 9 - PSR Strategies

The PSR technique stands for preview, study-read, and review; the purpose for this is to question yourself before, during, and after reading. Previewing a chapter allows you to find out how long or difficult it will be. It allows you to ask questions, predict content, and hypothesizing about the main idea. Steps for previewing a reading assignment are; skim the reading, develop questions, and predict content. Commenting in writing helps you digest and understand an author's ideas and create you own.

Mind Map - Argument

CH 9 - Argument

An argument offers reasons to support a conclusion with the intent to persuade. Arguments represent the bias, interests, and objectives of a viewpoint. We must first determine the issue before making an argument. Arguments and reports are each structured differently and have different objectives. The main purpose of a report is to offer information. Its objective is not to advocate an opinion. Arguments, on the other hand, do advocate opinions. Information may be used to explain an idea, to justify it, or persuade others to accept that idea.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Mind Map - Organization

CH 8 - Organization

When having the ability to recognize organizational methods it helps the reader understand the author's ideas. It will also help to remember the material beacause you are not memorizing but relating them to the form patterns that organize and hold them in your memory. A way to look for an author's method of organization is to find the word clues called, Organizational word clues (OWCs), which describe the pattern being used.

Mind Map - Viewpoints

CH 8- Viewpoints

We as critical thinkers must have the ability to assume another's point of view. Although, it may be different than our point of view. It helps us communicate better and gain new perspectives. The terms liberal and conservative, left and right, are used to describe political viewpoints. Political, social, economic, and religious values are all different types of viewpoints we should respect.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

CH 7 (TFY) - Excercise

  • Girl +
  • Chick +/-
  • Hot Babe +
  • Bitch -
  • Slut -
  • Guy +
  • Dude +/-
  • Stud +
  • Boy +
  • Hottie +
  • Alcoholic -
  • Alchy -
  • Wino -
  • Dipso -
  • Unintelligent -
  • Airhead -
  • Bubblehead -
  • Stupid -

2. Noone can sum up anothers's identity through one evaluative word.

3. If you call someone an airhead that does not sum up that person's identity, it only represents an evaluation.

Mind Map - Inference

CH 7 - Inference

Inference is making assumptions and coming up with your own conclusions about information. An author's diction, or choice of words, is very important when trying to figure out what te author means. Understanding information that is not directly stated, or implied will help you understand the author and help you remember thr reading. You should always refer to other information in a reading to make sure your conclusions are accurate.

Mind Map - Evaluations

CH 7 - Evaluations

We tend to make evaluations before we can clearly look them over, these are called premature evaluations. Evaluations are not neccessarly wrong. Skilled evaluations are important for diagnosis, treatment, etc. Propagandas are manipulative evaluations. They're used to promote distortion of vital information to benefit the propagator. We must learn how to make fair evaluations because we are faced with them daily.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Mind Map - Details

CH 6 - Details

Details help illustrate and understand main ideas. Details are specific pieces of information such as facts and examples. Major details support the main point and minor details are used to clarify and enhance major details. It is important to be able to know the difference between major and minor support. In doing this, it means you understand the material being read.

Mind Map - Opinions

CH-6 Opinions

We base opinions from our experiences; or from what we hear or see from others. We can often mistake them for facts. Opinions can be supported with reason or simply on feelings, emotions, or prejudice. It is essential as critical thinkers to recognize the difference between responsible and irresponsible opinions; it makes a huge difference in many ways.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

C5- Assumptions

An assumption is something we accept as being true without sufficient proof. Assuming something can often lead to problems. We can all learn from wrong assumptions, this makes us stronger critical thinkers. Unconscious and unwarranted assumptions can cause errors in our reasoning. On the other hand, conscious and warranted assumptions can be helpful for solving any situation. Therefore, it is important that we learn to recognize the difference. We must not fall easily into assumptions, but we shoud look for assumptions when trying to find a solution.

Mind Map- What are Topics, Main Ideas, and Details?

C5- Locating Stated Main Ideas

Before we are able to identify main ideas, it is important to understand the differences between topics, main ideas, and details. A topic summaries the general idea by a word or short phrase. The main idea is most likely in a form of a sentence; it's the major point. Details are pieces of ideas that prove,clarify and justify. Details support the main idea. Four strategies you can use to think about your reading are; questioning yourself, looking in the usual place, noticing clue words, and categorizing.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Exercises - C4

Exercise 4- CRCB
Speeding- reading means to group words together for faster reading. This method is more visual and to the point. On the other hand, critical reading consists on taking your time and analyze in detail the information you are reading. Critical reading means thinking, and speed reading is to rush and finish. Therefore these two methods are conflicting activities.

Exercise 4- TFY

Inferences

No reasonable man can for one moment believe that such a beautiful country [America] was intended by its Author [God] to be forever in the possession and occupancy of serpents, wild fowls, wild beats and savages who derive little benefit from it. (Caleb Atwater, 1850)

1. No man in their right man can imagine that this country, which was intended for the good people to be in hands of the evil who don't deserve it.
It's reasoning is an inference because he uses a lot of detail to describe the evil who are living in this country.

2. The conclusion implied is that the evil people are taking over and don't deserve to live in this country.

3. The evidence offered in support of the the claim is the example and detail he gives to describe “ugly”.

4. The claim justifies the author's values by expressing how he feels about the people who live in this country.

5. Lies bring nothing but tears, pain and a guilty conscience. It's like a stab in the back, an open wound, which never heals. The worst imaginable thing.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Mind Map- Reading Time

C4-Managing Your Reading Time

Efficient reading means reading and comprehending what you read; not how fast you read. If you read fast you may finish quickly, but not understand as much.This is why it is important to take your time in order to retain more information. The reading tips recommended in this chapter can lead to reading faster when appropriate; skimming, rereading material you are having trouble with, and pacing your reading; which can all increase your ability to concentrate. At the end, learning how to manage your time reading is more important than how fast you are able to read. I have experienced this and I can stay that understanding the material is the key to efficient reading.

Mind Map- Inferences

C4- Inferences

When we use inferences we use our imagination to guess and provide explanations that are not necessarily true. Descriptive writing means to describe the obvious by selecting the correct words. In order to make an accurate generalization, we must first look for information, analyze it, and make a conclusion of all the given data that is presented. In conclusion, this chapter helps us understand that what we observe determines our facts, imagination, and reasoning with explanations. It helps us learn the importance of generalization, which summarizes a whole meaning.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Mind Map - Where I Stand

Where Do I Stand- Critical Thinking

I believe critical thinking is an essential tool to have as a foundation for success to understand anything you want to gain knowledge. It upsets me when I get distracted when trying to concentrate on understanding a certain material. I love the fact that when using different strategies you can truly understand whatever it is you want to focus on. I feel that critical is an extremely important part of dealing with any situation. I've heard only positive things about critical thinking. I see different ways of approaching any difficult material through critical thinking. I think that critical thinking will be used in any situation of your life, therefore you must learn different strategies in order to make the best decisions.

C3- Discovery Excercise

  1. Know- to understand something as fact or truth clearly
  2. Certain- no doubt, completely confident
  3. Verified- confirmed truth by real evidence
  4. Existence- being true; continuance
  5. Real- actual existing thing
  6. Fact- something known to exist by actual experience or observation

Mind Map - Memory

C3- Remembering

Memory consists of storing and retrieving information. You must use the memory strategies to completly remember and understand the material you are reading. The three stages in the memory process are sensory memory, short- term memory, and long- term memory. These are key stages in truly remembering any information. We depend on our memory; therefore it is very important to know these strategies.

Mind Map- Facts

C3- Facts

Facts do not necessarily represent what is real and true; facts are our interpretations of what is real and true. Our feelings can distort our perceptions and prevent us from seeing the reality. We base our facts from others, this can cause us to distort our way of thinking.

C2- Exercise - Word Boundaries

Terms        Class              Characteristics
1. Scissors; a cutting tool -  has two blades, each with a loop handle, joined by a swivel pin

2. Mailbag; a large bag used to carry mail - used by mail carriers, usually equipped with a shoulder strap

3. Moppet; a young child; baby - a mop rag doll

4. November; the eleventh month of the year - containing 30 days

5. Pneumonia; inflammation of the lungs with congestion - characterized by fever, cough with blood- tinged phlegm and difficult breathing

6. Cat; a small domesticated carnivore - family of Felidae such as the lion, tiger, leopard or jaguar, etc.

Mind Map - Vocabulary

Mind Map - Word Precision

Mind Map - Reading

Mind Map - Observations

C2- Developing Your College Vocabulary

You develop your vocabulary by knowing the meaning of new words and how to use them. For every subject studied you must learn specific vocabulary and be able to relate it with your field of study. Increasing your vocabulary increases your ability to learn and communicate effectively.

C2- Word Precision

When expressing your thoughts in writing you must carefully select your choice of words. Clear word definitions lead to clear thinking and expression. Writing helps us learn new words and communicate more efficiently with others and ourselves.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

C1-Reading

Reading is a learning process. You must learn how to process new information and connect it with what you already know. You must have a learning strategy in order to remember what it is you're reading. Concentration is a very important skill to obtain because you have the ability to focus on a certain subject without interruption. You must maintain a positive attitude to have successful reading.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

C1- Observations

Observation is a very important process. Chapter 1: Observation Skills, discusses the importance of observation and shows how one observes. After reading this chapter it has helped me improve my ability to observe and really think about what it is I'm truly observing. I personally enjoyed the exercises because I feel I learned from them; they made me think in detail what I was looking at and what I was observing; which at times were completely different. We must process our observations in depth in order to truly understand the meaning of anything. I believe that obtaining observations skills make us more understanding, creative and stronger.